         watcher-config {:conf     conf
                         :error    (atom nil)
                         :continue control-atom
-                        :dbconf   conf}
+                        :dbconf   conf
+                        :sleep-time (:sleep-time conf)}
         watcher-thread (Thread. (fn [] (db-watcher watcher-config)))]
     (swap! db-watchers assoc wname (assoc watcher-config :thread watcher-thread))
     (.start watcher-thread)))

   true
   (catch java.sql.SQLException ex
     ;; did not get the lock
     false))
  )

(defn group-row-updates [recs]
  (reduce (fn [acc r]

  ;;    close database connection, ensure we do that in a finally block
  (jdbc/with-connection (db-conn-info (:dbconf conf))
    (jdbc/do-commands "LISTEN irmgard")
    (let [conn                (jdbc/find-connection)
          dbname              (-> conf :dbconf :subname)
          sleep-time          (:sleep-time conf 1000)
          table-check-every-n (:table-check-every-n conf 10)]
      (loop [conf     conf
             continue (.get (:continue conf))
             times    0]
        (if continue
          (do
            (log/infof "db-watcher[%s] polling (delay=%s)" dbname sleep-time)
            (try
             (dispatch-notifications conf conn (zero? (mod times table-check-every-n)))
             (catch Exception e
               (log/errorf e "Error dispatching notifications.  Some updates failed to propigate! Retry will occurr on next NOTIFY.  Error: %s" e)))
            (try
